I can’t believe it. I finally finished the first draft of my third novel. It’s going to be titled “The Stuttering Tattoo” I’m very excited. I think it’s going to be my best one yet. Now the hard work starts. Wish me luck.
Greg Logsted on what I’m afraid to try
Monday, March 24th, 2008
Chelsea asks “What is the one thing such as, sky diving or any other daring thing, that you would love to do but you are too afraid?”
I used to really want to go skydiving. I’m not as into the idea as I used to be. I think the main reason is the tandem jumping that new skydivers have to consent to. The idea of having a more experienced jumper strapped to my back just doesn’t hold any appeal to me. I mean, think about it: you’re about to do something special, exciting and new, and you’ve got some guy tied to your back babbling away about who knows what.
I’m old school. Let me jump out of the plane by myself. If I don’t have enough common sense or courage to pull the cord before I slam into a field maybe I don’t deserve to have someone pull it for me.
I remember a few years ago a friend and I were skiing in British Columbia. We came upon this sick double diamond trail that was nothing more than a cliff. The two of us just stood at the lip of it with our skis hanging over the side and wondered who in the world would ever try to ski down this. It really was just a long drop: if you slipped or caught an edge, you’d be taking a helicopter ride to the hospital.
This girl skied up next to us and stood looking down the trail. I turned to her and said, “Can you believe this trail? Who’d be crazy enough to try this?”
She just grinned at me and launched herself off the side. It freaked me out; it was like watching someone jump off a building. Then she danced down the side of the mountain. It was terrifying to watch and yet beautiful. I’d love to be able to do that and I know I never will.
Greg Logsted is the author of the forthcoming novel SOMETHING HAPPENED. Visit his author page for more information.
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Greg Logsted on parting with a character
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Maggie asks “Many writers say parting with a character is hard. Do you ever look back on a character and wish you had changed something about him or her?”
In my novel, SOMETHING HAPPENED, there’s a point where I have one of the main characters walk out of the school and out of the story. I was really surprised how much it affected me; actually the paragraph that has her walking away might be my favorite of the book. I seriously doubt that the average reader would pick that paragraph as being one of their favorites.
I remember after I wrote that section I got up and walked around my room, then stared out the window for a while. It really was a strange feeling, to create something and then to let it go. Like blowing up a balloon and then just letting it sail away.
I’m tempted to one day just have a character say, “I’m leaving now and you’ll never see me again!” I guess just for the fun of it I should do it, although a quote like that can really be only used once. Maybe I should save it for my tombstone, parting words for all who come to visit me. After all what’s important about dialogue is also what’s important about real estate: it all comes down to location, location, location.
Greg Logsted is the author of the forthcoming novel SOMETHING HAPPENED. Visit his author page for more information.
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Greg Logsted on surviving being a teen
Monday, March 17th, 2008
Jasmine asks “How did you survive being a teen?”
There’s no doubt about it, surviving the teenage years can be tough. Fortunately I had some close friends to lean on. I wasn’t the most popular kid in school (face it, how many of us are?) but I got along with everyone and nobody gave me a hard time. Invisibility is the second cousin to popularity.
I had a younger friend at work, fresh out of high school, who asked me what high school was like when I went. Without thinking about it I said, “Exactly like it is today, except completely different.” I guess I’d have to stand behind that.
There are parts of the teen experience that will always be the same. You’re stepping out on your own; you’re desperately trying to fit in, to find your place, to be liked, to find love, to explore attractions, and to push the boundaries of everything as far as you possibly can. It’s always been that way and that’s the way it should be.
The parts that change are mostly the technological parts and the pop culture parts. There’s different clothes, different hairstyles, different electronic toys but basically underneath it all, it’s the same kids going through the same stuff.
Greg Logsted is the author of the forthcoming novel SOMETHING HAPPENED. Visit his author page for more information.
